Ablaze
by Ranger Alice
Summary: One day, Alice wakes to find from the baron that bandits swept the fief as of that night. Halt, Will, Horace and herself go to investigate further into the brigands and bandits. A simple story of a mission about bandits in Araluen.
1. The Beginning Of It All

**author's note: a story of the bravery and empathy people share.**

**To all my fellow ****Australians **

**fighting the ****fires raging ****across**

**Australia. Thank you to the CF****A and it's **

**volunteers,****we value your work more **

**than you know. ****Stay strong **

**Australia.**

**-Alice.S.C**

Chapter 1

Alice knocked an arrow to her bow, aimed, and fired, within the space of a heartbeat. She watched the arrow fly into her target, Right in the center of the one hundred and fifty meter target.

'Fifty meters to go' She said. Storm raised his head, looking at her.

_What was that?_

'Nothing Storm' Alice replied. 'Nothing at all.'

Storm rested his head once more.

_If you say so._

Alice smiled.

'Ranger!' Someone called. Alice slipped the arrow that had been knocked to her bow into her quiver, turning. It was the messenger.

'Razial?' She asked. 'Whatever is the matter?'

Razial walked up to her. 'Baron Tyler requests your presences as soon as possible, Ranger.'

Alice nodded. 'I'll get onto that now. Thank you'

Razial nodded, then turned around, walked up to and swung astride his horse, and rode off. Alice sighed.

'Just another day on the job, eh Storm?'

Storm looked up at the sound of his masters voice. He barked pleasantly. _Sure is._

Alice whistled gently for Blackie, and soon enough, the black-coated assassin battle horse strode up.

Before he even stopped, Alice swung up into the saddle. She missed Annabelle, she really did. But Mother Nature isn't always nice. She mused at the word "Mother".

'Some mother she is.'

She looked at Storm, who still lay on the ground, ears pricked, head tilted, awaiting further orders.

'Are you coming or what?' Alice asked. Storm got up, stretched, then positioned himself a meter in front of his master and her mount. He usually did, he liked knowing what was in front of them, and what danger might be beholden to Alice.

'D'ya think we should bring Arctos?' Alice asked. Arctos was the little Kelpie pup that Alice had found whimpering and alone, lost in the forest. He looked like he'd once had a collar, but there was no sign of it, so Alice took him in.

Blackie whinnied, tossing his head. _Not old enough. He's only about one year old._

'And he still finds anything he can wrap his teeth around as food' Alice added. 'Yeah, your right boy, we'll leave him. If he hasn't woken up, he's probably keen on staying.'

And with that, with a click of her tongue, She drove Blackie into a steady lope. Blackie had similar training to a Ranger horse, Bob had seen to that at first sight of him.

As she rode, she drew rein on Blackie slightly so he was guided into a trot. Homemade barricades of household items were set up in front of farm houses.

That's odd, Alice thought. Then she sniggered. This is like the mission report from when The Outsiders were around, Alice thought, I wonder if Crowley needs any help with paper work again, Halt's reports are quite entertaining.

Blackie tossed his head, neighing. _So it seems. _

She was still surprised that the horse was able to read her thoughts, but she shrugged. It wasn't hurting anyone. Then, she picked up the scent of something.

She leaned forward, and spoke to Storm. 'D'ya smell that?'

The wolf yapped. _Sure do._

'You know what to do' Alice said. The wolf shot off, Blackie following. Alice held on tight to the reins.

Storm stopped at the border of the trees. Alice swung down from the saddle, peering through the trees. A ash coated farm stood before her, the barn nothing more than burnt wood on the ground. There were two people talking outside the farm house. Two men. 'Should've brought Arctos' Alice muttered. Blackie nudged her.

_But cha didn't. _

'Whatever, you' Alice said. 'Let's go have a talk with the boys, shall we?'

Blackie snorted derisively. _You're not a big talker when it comes to boys._

'Very funny' Alice said sardonically. Blackie whinnied, shaking his mane.

_Your welcome._

Taking hold of Blackie's lead rein, she looked at Storm. 'Follow.'

The wolf yapped in agreeance. Alice stepped out of the trees.

'Ranger!' The first man called, relieved. 'We were just debating whether we should see you or not.'

'Lucky I was 'round 'en, eh?' Alice said, approaching. 'I've been asked to see Baron Tyler, so I don't have much time. What's going on here?'

'Bandits lit the barn on fire' Said the second man. He was a smoker, by the looks of him. 'Swooped in, lit the barn, and left as quickly as they came.'

Alice frowned. 'Did you get a look at what they wore?'

'The smoker shook his head. But the first man continued. He looked like the strong, silent type. Certainly strong.

'They wore chain mail surcoats over a white long sleeve and grey pants' He reported. 'They also had swords at their waist.'

'Did you catch an insignia?' Alice asked, starting to get a sick feeling in her stomach.

'Yes' He replied. How he described it sickened Alice. It was her stepfathers logo. But he was dead. How could they be around? Maybe they appointed a new general.

Alice chewed her lip thoughtfully. 'I'll see what I can do. I just need your names.'

'Aaron' The man declared. 'And he's Stephen.'

Alice nodded. 'Thank you.'

And with that, Alice swung astride Blackie, and without any obvious urging, turned him to the way she'd came, the way the road was, and urged him into a steady lope into the trees.

'Did she have a wolf?' Aaron asked Stephen. Stephen nodded.

'So it appeared.'

Alice rode Blackie at a fast trot down the road. She was slightly behind schedule, but that was okay. She hadn't been appointed a time to see Tyler, just as soon as possible.

It didn't take too much longer to get to the village. She rode through at a walk, as felt appropriate.

She swung off at the castle.

'Ranger Alisaria Callihan' Alice said, showing the guards her silver oak leaf that hung at her neck. 'I have an appointment with his lordship.'

The guards nodded, and let her through. She put Blackie in the stables, and headed across the courtyard to the main keep. As she climbed up the tower, she took the steps two at a time, as she felt she was late, for some reason. Slowing as she reached Tyler's it, she opened the anteroom door.

She nodded as the secretary as he realized her presence. 'Is Baron Tyler available?' Alice asked. 'Razial sent for me.'

The secretary nodded. 'He certainly is.'

The secretary got up and opened the door for her, and she went through gracefully. She nodded her thanks to the secretary, before he closed the door behind her.

Tyler was asleep.

Again.

Alice cleared her throat, Tyler waking with a jolt.

'You needed to see me, my lord?' Alice asked smoothly.

'Yes I did' Tyler replied. 'Did you notice the changes on the way here?'

'As a matter of fact I did, my lord' Alice replied in the same, calm tone. 'I saw one place had been burnt. What's the trouble?'

'Bandits passed through here last night' Tyler disclosed.

Alice frowned. 'Last night, my lord?'

Tyler nodded.

'That's odd' She clarified. She'd seen the fact that they were her stepfather's mercenaries. 'I'll talk to Ranger Crowley about it, my lord.'

And with that, Alice gave the Baron a polite curtsy, and left.


	2. On The Road Again

'Again?'

Will looked at Alice with a raised eyebrow. Halt shook his head, Horace snickering.

'Yes, again' Alice replied dully. 'Now focus. From the description the farmer gave me, I think they might be what's left of Masi's mercenaries.'

'Why?' Horace asked.

'The description matched their uniform' Alice replied. 'He had a different seal to mine, of course. The colour was black for people of the Gallic royalty bloodline. So, he decided to have a black dagger. Typical of him, really.'

Halt nodded. 'He did fashion a dagger to slit your throat, didn't he?'

Alice nodded sadly. 'That he did,' She said. 'that he did.'

Halt still remembered all to well the sound of Alice's desperate cries for help, echoing down the halls of the castle near the throne room, and bursting into the room with the other guards to find Alice, Masi holding a knife to the thirteen year old's neck.

He remembered the fearful look in Alice's eyes, the cunning and determination in the other man's.

The day Alice, princess of Gallica, could've met her demise.

But here she was, talking to Will and Horace.

'Well,' She said, rising, 'we should probably hit the road, preferably before sundown.'

As Horace and Alice went to ready their horses for the coming travelling, Will raised an eyebrow at his mentor.

'Halt?'

Halt glanced over his shoulder at Alice, scenes of the constant torture he'd seen Masi inflict upon her flash before his eyes.

And the whole time, her screams echoed in his head.

'Halt?' Alice asked, laying a hand on her stepbrother's shoulder. 'Are you alright?'

Frowning, Alice looked at Will. 'You might want to talk to him.'

Will nodded, before walking over to Halt. 'Come on' He said, helping Halt rise from the ground. 'We need to talk.'

As the two dissapeared into the trees, whilst Horace wasn't looking, she took out a letter from her saddlebags.

The top of the letter in the center carried the assassin symbol. It was the mission credentials for an upcoming assassination mission.

Just because she was general didn't mean missions stopped.

She was in charge of assassinating a drug dealer up north that was in touch with some black marketers in Toscana.

Quickly, she put the letter back into the saddlebags as Horace spoke.

'What you got there?' Horace asked, walking up next to her.

'Nothing' She replied hurriedly.

Horace glanced accusingly at her.

At that moment, Halt and Will came back.

'Problem solved.'

'Why are you two wet?'

The two exchanged glances. 'We threw each other in a river' Will replied.

Horace and Alice laughed.

They eventually hit the road.

Alice yawned.

'How the hell are you already tired?'

Alice glanced meaningfully at Halt. 'Want me to write a list?' she asked rhetorically.

Will couldn't help but smile at the exchange.

It was when they started speaking Gallic that made Horace and Will concerned. They had no idea what they were saying, let alone if it was a good or bad conversation.

The two both had the uncanny ability to stay calm in an argument. So with no change of tone or expression, they had no idea whether they were arguing or debating or even getting along because for the life of them if Halt and Alice started really getting along then Araluen was in deep trouble.

And everybody else.

Alice snapped something at Halt, and ended the conversation.

'What did you say?' Will asked, keen to know.

'You wouldn't understand' Alice replied simply. It must've been a history thing.

Shrugging, Will and Horace began a conversation between themselves. The four had a long trip ahead of the,.


	3. A Long Road Ahead, eh

**I totally forgot about this. I've been really focused on "Sporadic", I've been reading about and getting absolutely obsessed with Darkiplier and Antisepticeye, trying to do Russian Duolingo lessons, and school got in the way. Needn't worry, i'll keep posting. I should probably stop rambling and get on with the chapter.**

They camped that night among the trees.

Alice wasn't saying anything. It wasn't unusual, it just made the others think of what might be going on in her head.

'Something on your mind?' Halt asked, walking up beside her.

Alice looked at her stepbrother with a raised eyebrow.

'No,' she replied at length, 'I just have nothing to say, is all.'

'Just making sure' Halt disclosed. It was good to know what was going on with Alice sometimes. Leave her too long and something could happen.

Something bad.

Alice was actually worried and confused, but she didn't say anything about it. In order for her stepfather's mercenaries to still be, well, his, he would have to be alive.

However, Will had killed him. Right in front of her. She'd seen it. And yet...

But, it didn't make sense. She needed to pay Gallica a visit. Most likely after the mission she was currently on.

She yawned. God she was tired. She swung up into a tree, and fell asleep.

()()()

'Alice. Your watch.'

Alice woke up to Will's touch on her shoulder. Swinging down, she took two arrows from her quiver, holding them in her hand, bow in the other hand.

Will put a hand on her shoulder, stopping her.

'Are you alright?' He asked. 'You seemed a little distracted earlier.'

Alice managed a smile. 'I'm fine.'

Alice walked off into the dark, Will shrugging.

Oh well, he thought.

Alice peered into the dark, eyes darting here and there. She didn't expect to see anyone, but just in case.

It was rather disturbing to think that Halt could teach her more about preventing herself from dying than Gilan. And to think that Gilan was her mentor, and Halt was her stepbrother.

Because, well, Halt… Halt was Halt was Halt.

She looked up at the moon. Already, ten minutes had passed since she first started her watch.

'Fifty minutes left' She muttered. This was going to take a while.

She restrained herself from shifting position. To do so could get her detected if someone was out there, or even killed.

Dying at sixteen wasn't on her to-do list.

()()()

Alice was the last up.

She decided not to eat, despite her mentor's urging, and went straight to readying her horse.

**Aaaaaand cliffhanger, kind of. I'm out of ideas, please help. Sorry for the long wait. I'll post as much as I can.**


End file.
